Baseball game



w. v. LAMAR BASEBALL GAME Jan. 19, 1943.

' s Sheets-Sheet 1, 1

Filed Aug. 16, 1941 Inventar mam lelkerfamr;

Attorney Jam 19, 1943. w. v. LAMAR 2,308,816

- BASEBALL GAME Filed Aug. 16, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventar A Home Wax 2am wem mw 4 Jan. 19', 1942;

w. v. A AR BASEBALL ems Filed Au 16;,1941

6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Iqventor J n-19,194? v. LAMAR 2,308,816

BASEBALL GAME Filed Aug. 16, 1941 s Sheets-Sheet 4 m Inventor Attorney Jan. 19, 1943. w. v. LAMAR 2,308,816

BAS EBALL GAM E Filed Aug. 16, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 lK/KzZZz'am l oelkerlamar A ttorm an- 19, 1943- .w. v. LAMAR v 2,308,816

BAS EBALL GAME Filed Aug. 16, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 lm'entar Patented Jan. 19, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BASEBALL GAME William V. Lamar, Baton Rouge, La.

Application August 16, 1941, Serial No. 407,188

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a baseball game, the general object of the invention being to provide a game provided with means whereby a game closely approaching a regular baseball game can be played by two players with marbles, the game includes a chute down which the marble rolls to strike a pad at the pitchers box so that the marble or ball will bounce and travel along a path which passes over or adjacent the home plate where an attempt is made to strike the ball, by another player, manipulating a bat pivoted to the board, with the catchers box for receiving the ball, if the batter fails to strike it, or the batter attempts to let the ball go by to secure a base on balls, with dials and spinners adapted to be struck by a batted ball, these dials and spinners indicating various kinds of plays.

Another object of the invention is to provide pockets into which the ball may be batted for indicating caught balls, some of which may .be fouled, and some of the pockets indicating base hits, and one pocket indicating a home run.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for adjusting the chute so that the ball rolling down the same striking the resilient pad will travel across the home plate.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the game device.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof.

Figure 4 is a view looking toward the rear end of the device.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the catchers box and the parts adjacent thereto.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on the line I-'I of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 88 of Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a view of the slotted bar which forms an adjustable support for the pitchers chute.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary top plan view showing one of the infielders dialand spinner with the ramp associated therewith.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary sectional View through the board with a spinner and its ramp in elevation and parts of the spinner in section.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary plan View showing one of the outfield dial and spinner.

In these views the numeral I indicates a baseboard horizontally arranged and supported by the legs 2 and the rectangular frame 3, the frame 3 having parts fitting in recesses in the upper ends of the legs with the baseboard resting upon portions of the legs and the frame 3. A relatively thin board 4 is placed on the board I and extends from the front end of the board I to the side edges thereof but terminates short of the rear part of the board I and a vertically arranged back board 5 is located at the rear end of the board 4 and is connected to the posts 6 rising from the board I. Side strips I are fastened to the side edges of the board 4 and a front end strip 8 is fastened to the front end of the board 4 and vertically arranged side boards 9 rise from intermediate portions of the side edges of the board 4 and a fence I0 formed of mesh or netting and supporting bars rise from the front portion of the side strips I and from the top of the board 9 with portions of the fence extending upwardly from the side bars II which slope upwardly and rearwardly from the posts 6 to the posts I2 connected to the rear end of the board I. Thus the boards 9 and the fence parts I0 form enclosures for the game at the sides thereof to prevent balls from being knocked over the sides of the game board.

The major portion of the board 4 has suitably designated thereon a baseball diamond I3 and at the pitchers box the board 4 has an opening therein in which fits a pad I4 of resilient material which is held'in place by the weighted rods I5 which have their upper ends passing through the board I and through the side parts of the pad with their upper ends bent at right angles to engage the top of the pad, the Weights l6 being connected with the lower ends of the rods. Thus the pad is held in place by the Weighted rods and this will impart more resiliency to the pad than if the pad was glued or otherwise fastened in place. This arrangement is shown in detail in Figure 8. Back of the home plate three boxes I1 and I8 are located on the board I with an opening in the board 4 through which bat.

the box I! passes and the board I is slightly recessed to receive the lower end of the box l1 as shown more particularly in Figure 6. The center box is formed with high end and side boards 19 with the front end open and at this front end the side boards or walls are reduced in height as shown at IS in Figure 6 and a wedge-shaped member 20 is located in the front end of the box H, the top wall of which slopes downwardly and rearwardly so that a .ball rolling over the board 4, after passing the pitchers box, will roll'down this member 20 into the catchers box l1. arranged in the catchers box I! with one limb resting on the part of the board I which forms a the bottom of the box and the other'limb extend- A substantially V-shaped member 22 ising upwardly and forwardly toward the home plate, this part forming a catchers mitt. and

it tends to hold a ball rolling into the catchers box. The two boxes I8 are placed on opposite sides of the catchers box I1 and these boxes l8 are shorter than the box I! and these boxes are made plain but each box has front and rear wedge-shaped parts 18' therein which slope towards home plate. A ball rolling into a box l8 will tend to remain therein as the ballmust pass over front wedge l8 in order to pass from the box. An intermediate portion of the end strip 8 carries an inverted U-shaped frame 23 from which depends a plate 24, this plate tendingto prevent balls passing over the boxes- I! and I8 and offthe front end of the board as they will strike this plate and then drop back into a box. A pair of bats 25 is pivoted to the board by upright pins 25, one bat being placed to one side of the home plate and the opposite bat to the opposite side thereof, one of these bats being used by a right hand player and the other by a left hand player. Each bat is made in the form of a bellcrank with a cylindrical member 21 connected to one end of the bellcrank and this member can be formed in part of rubber or thelike and forms the striking part thereof. A member 28 is connected to the other end of the bellcrank and has the pair of projections 29 extending from itsouter end-for engagement by the thumb or finger of a player swinging the bat on the pivot. When the bat is swung the part 27 will pass over the homeplate in an attempt to strike a ball passing over the home plate.

A board or plate 30 slopes downwardly and forwardly at the rear end of the game device and is supported by the. posts 6 and I2. and has a part 3|. connected with itsrear portion and an elon gated chute forming bar 32 has an intermediate portion extending over thi board 30 with its front end located over that portion of the board 4 which is slightly in rear of the pad 14 so that.

a ball rolling down the chute will drop upon the pad l4 and then bounce and pass over the home plate into a box'l'l or I8 if it is not struck by a This chute forming bar is formed with a longitudinally extending groove 32' in its major portion, the groove extending from the rear end of the'bar to a point adjacent the front end and this front portion of the chute forming bar is substantially fiat as shown at 32" in Figure 1.

A cylinder 33 extends upwardly from the rear end of the chute bar and a long chute forming 7 bar 34 has its rear end extending into the cylin-" der or substantially so that a ball rolling down the chute 34 will pass into the cylinder and then into the chute formed by the bar 32. 'A yokeshaped frame 35 has its limbs connected. with theside portions ofthe game. device and the' 7 5 the upper ends of the limbs of the yoke being pivotally connected with the bar 32 as shown at 39 so that the bar 32 can rock on the upper ends of the yoke. A screw shaft 40 passes through a threaded hole in a block 4| connected with a central post 6 with the upper end of the screw shaftengaging a portion of the front end of the bar..3| so thatby turning the screw shaft the front'portion of the bar 31 can be raised or lower'ed, the rear portion of the bar rocking on the yoke 38. V A plate 42 is connected to the front end of the bar 31 and has its upright part 43 forming a rest for an intermediate portion ofthe bar 32 so that when the bar 3'| is raised and lowered the chute bar 32 is adjusted to place its front end closer to or farther from the diamond. -A weighted rod 44 is connected with the rear end of the chute bar 32 through means of a rod 45 which is slidably arranged in a part of the bar 32 so that the weight; can be adjusted and this weight acts as a counterbalance for the parts. A spring 46 has one end connected with therear portion of the board I and this spring has a part passing through a slot 31' in the bar 31 and through a slot 30' in. the board so with theupper end connected with the lower edge ofthe chute bar 32, this spring acting to hold the chute bar against the upper end of the plate 43. Springs 46' hold the front end of bar 31 against the screw 40.

Dials 48 are provided for the three infielders,

the short stop .and the three outfielders, and a spinner or arrow 49 is associated with each dial.

Each arrow or spinner has its ends pointed with one end preferably colored red as shown at. 50

to indicate the front end of the arrow or spinner and substantially inverted U-shaped members 5| extend upwardly from the end portions of the arrow or spinner for increasing the area which may be struckby a ball. The wedge-shaped member or ramp 52 is also associated with each dial and forms a runway on which a ball must travel to strike'a spinner or arrow, the ramps of the different dials extending toward the home plate as shown in Figure 1 so that a batted balltraveling toward a dial will pass up the ramp and possibly strike a spinner or arrow andspin the same. i a

A plurality of dials 53 are placed on the board 30 and each dial has a spinner 54 associated therewith and a ramp 55, these parts being sin'ii spinner or arrow and these green divisions are" all so arranged that when the arrow is over;the

same. it will' be substantially crosswise of the. ramp so that a ball moving up ithe rampwill;

strike the arrow to move the same. Some of the divisions of the infield dials have colored parts thereon, preferably'of red color as shown'in Fig-' wn i ure 10 and the others of green color Figure 10. The outfield dials asshown in Figure Each dial is divided 12 have red and green dots on some of the divisions and these dots are alternately arranged as shown in Figure 12.

The front edge of the board 33 is divided into spaces by plates 75 and into some of these spaces the wedges 55 extend. A sloping bar El extends across the lower edge of board 30 and acts to catch balls rolling down the board 35. This bar is numbered as shown at 51'. Wedges 55 are placed above the dials 53.

A pair of cloth pockets depend from the rear edge of the board 33 and when a ball enters either one of these pockets it represents a home run. Three transversely arranged cloth pockets 59 are arranged in front of the board 35 with the front one lowermost, the rear one above and the intermediate one extending downwardly to a point midway the bottom of the front and rear pockets as clearly shown in Figure 3. A ball entering the first or front pocket will be considered a fly ball caught so that the batter is out and the value for the out shall be given to the fielder nearest to where the ball enters the pocket. If the ball drops into the second or intermediate pocket it shall be considered a two base hit. If the ball is batted in the third pocket it shall be considered a three base hit. Asbefore stated, if the ball drops into either one of the pockets 58 it shall be considered a home run or if the ball is batted over the fence into fair territory it will be considered a home run.

Narrow upright members 60 formed of mesh or the like are located one adjacent first base and the other adjacent third base with the members paralleling the first and third base lines and a ball passing into the space formed by these members 5i and the adjacent parts of the fence 19 will be considered a foul out.

Playing pieces 5! are provided and these may be of any suitable form and, of course, each team is represented by nine of these playing pieces and one team arranged at one side of the front part of the game device and the other team at the opposite side thereof as shown in Figure 1 and these playing pieces may have the names of the players and their batting averages thereon and two blocks 62 are fastened in spaced relation to the front cross piece 3, these block having two rows of holes 63 therein representing the batters and a pin 64 is adapted to be placed in that hole which represents the batter at bat. Resilient strings 55 connect the pins with the blocks to prevent the pin from being separated from the blocks.

To regulate the chute 32, one of the bats are turned so that it will extend across the home plate. Then a ball is rolled down the chute and if the ball seems to strike too high on the bat or jump over it then the chute must be lowered by means of the screw it and the chute is adjusted until the ball bouncing from the pad strikes the center of the bat. This will indicate that the chute is in correct position.

The game is played ordinarily by two persons, each representing a team of nine men in the field and a team of nine men at bat. If desired an umpire can be provided to call balls and strikes and to judge foul balls and make decisions of the fielders and batters.

The person whose team is in the field places a ball, which may be a marble such as shown at 6B in Figure 1, in the chute 34 while the other person seizes the long projection 29 of one of the bats. The ball will roll down the chute 34 into the member 33 and then into the chute 32, down which it will roll and then the ball will pass from the chute and fall upon the pad M which will cause the ball to bounce forwardly and travel toward the home plate. The person manipulating the bat will try to strike the ball and if he fails the ball will pass into the catchers box or into one of the boxes It. If the ball is struck it will travel over the playing field and possibly strike one of the spinners so as to move the spinner and the point where the spinner stops will indicate the play. As before stated the ball might drop into some of the-pockets and if it drops into the first pocket 59 it will be an out and if it drops into the second pocket it will mean a two base hit or if it drops into the third pocket it will be a three base hit, or if it drops into pocket 58 it will mean a home run. The ball passing into the catchers box will be a strike and the ball passing into the other boxes will be foul tips and therefore strikes. The catcher must hold the third strike or the batter shall be placed at first, that is, the ball must remain in the catchers box at the third strike to put the batter out. When a batted ball passes outside of the playing field the umpire shall decide if fair or foul according to where it leaves the playing field.

The three basemen and short stop play ball according to the dials and spinners representing these players. The red end of the spinner must point toward the center of the field at the beginning of the play and must rest in the center of the green division. A double play happens when the spinner stops on the red. The dcubie play is made on the advance runner or on the batsman and the player ahead of him. There are four red marks on the infielder-s register dial, two are on the side of the green toward home and the other two are on the side toward center field. When the red point of indicator or arrow stops on either one of the red marks facing toward home plate it shall be a double play on the two advance runners if there are two on base, and the batter advances safely to first base on the double play. If there is only one runner on base the runner and batsman is out. If the indicator or arrow stops on either of the two red marks on the dial on the side toward the center field then it is the double play on the runner on base and the batter. The runner or runners shall advance safely as a double play cannot be made unless there is a runner or runners on base.

The red and green dots on the outfielders dials register the out at the home plate and the safe at the home plate decision; with a runner on third like the field game rules. The fielders on the top board above the three cloth pockets represent the left fielder, short stop, center fielder, one on either side of the pitching chute, second baseman and right fielder. If the ball is batted on the board 30 containing the dials and arrows and moves it off the green or neutral part of the dial it shall be considered an out, and if the ball is batted up on the member 30 and does not move the indicator oif the neutral but rolls back against the bar 51 which contains the numeral 51' the play is given the value indicated by the numeral 51 which is opposite the ball when the ball stops against the member 51.

The sliding rod 45 with the weighted rod 44 are used to regulate the pitchers chute 32 by adding more or less weight to the left or right side by shifting the weight to either side as desired. For instance, if the pitching chute is not level it will cause too many outside or inside balls to be pitched to the batter, so' by shifting the weight the law of averages shouldbe even.

The outside boxes I8 represent the catcher fielding pop fly balls,"both foul and fair. as the foul ball entering one of these boxes or a top fly rolling back into one of these boxes will represent an out by the catcher.

The spinners of the dials representing first, second, third bases and the short stop-are each formed with an extension at the outer ends of its wire members 5! as shown more clearly in Figure 11, the extensions extending outwardly beyond the ends of the spinners. This arrangement enables the infielders to cover more ground and prevents the outfielders from receiving too many outs to their credit.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. In a base ball game, a board having a baseball field formed thereon, a resilient pad forming the pitchers box, a bat pivoted to the board adjacent the home plate and adapted to be swung by a player, a box in rear of the home plate for catching balls passing over or adjacent the home plate, a chute forming bar at the rear of the board and sloping downwardly and forwardly with its front end elevated above and in the rear of the pad whereby balls placed in the chute will travel down the same and fall from the front end of the chute upon the pad atan angle causing the balls to bounce from said pad forwardly over or adjacent the home plate, the person manipulating the bat attempting to strike the ball as it travels by, and means for adjusting the bar vertically and about its axis to cause the ball when bouncing from the pad to pass over the home plate, said means comprising a member upon which the rear end of the bar is fulcrumed, a device for lifting the bar on said fulcrum, and a counterweight variably adjustable in the bar to cause the same to tilt laterally in different degree on said fulcrum.

2. A baseball game comprising a board having marked thereon a baseball field, a bat member invention, what is pivotally connected with the board adjacent the home plate and adapted to be swung across the 7 plate by a player in an attempt to hit a ball, a

catchers box at the front of the board for receiving balls passing over the home plate,-means tending to hold a ball in the box, a pad representing the pitchers box, a chute extending from the rear of the board downwardly and forwardly to a point slightly spaced in rear of the pad, means for depositing balls in the rear of the chute, balls rolling down the chute and passing from the front end and upon the pad which causes the balls to bounce and travel across the home plate, where the player manipulating the bat attempts to strike the ball, dials representing the infielders and outfielders, spinners associated with the dials and adapted to be struck by a ball coming from the bat to cause the spinners to rotate, means on the dials for indicating certain plays when the spinner stops on said indicating means, elevated stepped ball receiving pockets carried by the board for indicating the plays, a raised part at the rear of the board, a downwardly and forwardly sloping board on theraised part higher than said pockets and having dials and spinners thereon, a bar extending across the front of the last-mentioned board for stopping the balls rolling down the same, said bar being divided into numbered sections for indicating plays of the game by the balls resting against 7 such numbered sections. 7

3. A baseball game comprising a board having marked thereon a baseball field, a bat member pivotally connected with the board adjacent the home plate and adapted to beswung across the plate by a player in an attempt to hit a ball, a catchers box at the front of the board for receiving balls passing over the home plate, means tending to hold a ball in the box, a pad representing the pitchers box, a chute extending from the rear of the board downwardly and forwardly to a point slightly spaced in rear of the pad,

means for depositing balls in the rear of the chute, balls rolling down the chute and passing from the front end and upon the pad which causes the balls to bounceand travel across the home plate, where the player manipulating the bat attempts to strike the ball, dialsrepresenting the infielders. and outfielders, spinners asso- V ciated with the dials and adapted to be struck by a ball coming from the bat to cause the spin ners to rotate, means on the dials for indicating certain plays when the spinner stops on said indicating means, elevated stepped ball receiving pockets carried by the board for indicating the plays, a raised part at the rear of the board'a downwardly and forwardly sloping board on the raised part higher than said pockets and having dials and spinners thereon, a bar extending across the front of the last-mentioned board for stopping the balls rolling down the same, said bar being divided into numbered sections for in- I dicating plays of the game by the balls resting against such numbered sections, one of the pockets being arranged at the rear edge of the lastmentioned board for indicating a home run, and some of the other pockets being arranged in front of the last-mentioned board and above the rear portion of the playing field on the firstmentioned board. 7

WILLIAM V. LAMAR. 

